With the advancement of information communication technologies, various wireless communication technologies have recently been developed. Among the wireless communication technologies, a wireless local area network (WLAN) is a technology whereby Internet access is possible in a wireless fashion in homes or businesses or in a region providing a specific service by using a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a portable multimedia player (PMP), etc.
Ever since the institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802, i.e., a standardization organization for WLAN technologies, was established in February 1980, many standardization works have been conducted. In the initial WLAN technology, a frequency of 2.4 GHz was used according to the IEEE 802.11 to support a data rate of 1 to 2 Mbps by using frequency hopping, spread spectrum, infrared communication, etc. Recently, the WLAN technology can support a data rate of up to 54 Mbps by using orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM). In addition, the IEEE 802.11 is developing or commercializing standards of various technologies such as quality of service (QoS) improvement, access point protocol compatibility, security enhancement, radio resource measurement, wireless access in vehicular environments, fast roaming, mesh networks, inter-working with external networks, wireless network management, etc.
In the IEEE 802.11, the IEEE 802.11b supports a data transfer rate of up to 11 Mbps by using a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. The IEEE 802.11a commercialized after the IEEE 802.11b uses a frequency band of 5 GHz instead of the frequency band of 2.4 GHz and thus significantly reduces influence of interference in comparison with the very congested frequency band of 2.4 GHz. In addition, the IEEE 802.11a has improved the data transfer rate to up to 54 Mbps by using the OFDM technology. Disadvantageously, however, the IEEE 802.11a has a shorter communication distance than the IEEE 802.11b. Similarly to the IEEE 802.11b, the IEEE 802.11g implements the data transfer rate of up to 54 Mbps by using the frequency band of 2.4 GHz. Due to its backward compatibility, the IEEE 802.11g is drawing attention, and is advantageous over the IEEE 802.11a in terms of the communication distance.
The IEEE 802.11n is a technical standard relatively recently introduced to overcome a limited data transfer rate which has been considered as a drawback in the WLAN. The IEEE 802.11n is devised to increase network speed and reliability and to extend an operational distance of a wireless network. More specifically, the IEEE 802.11n supports a high throughput (HT), i.e., a data processing rate of up to 540 Mbps or higher, and is based on a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) technique which uses multiple antennas in both a transmitter and a receiver to minimize a transmission error and to optimize a data rate. In addition, this standard may use a coding scheme which transmits several duplicate copies to increase data reliability and also may use the OFDM to support a higher data rate.
With the widespread use of the WLAN and the diversification of applications using the WLAN, there is a recent demand for a new WLAN system to support a higher throughput than a data processing rate supported by the IEEE 802.11n. A very high throughput (VHT) WLAN system is one of IEEE 802.11 WLAN systems which have recently been proposed to support a data processing rate of 1 Gbps or higher. The VHT WLAN system is named arbitrarily. To provide a throughput of 1 Gbps or higher, a feasibility test is currently being conducted for the VHT system using 4?4 MIMO and a channel bandwidth of 80 MHz or higher.
Meanwhile, in order to support an access point (AP) selection algorithm for roaming or the like of a station (STA), the WLAN system provides APs or STAs with basic service set (BSS) load information. The BSS load information includes information indicating the number of STAs associated with a specific BSS or a usage level of a channel, or the like. Upon receiving the BSS load information, the STA can select a relatively less busy BSS or the like by using the BSS load information.
A single channel, that is, a 20 MHz channel is premised in a BSS load management procedure in a currently available WLAN. That is, the existing BSS load management procedure provides load information only for the 20 MHz channel. On the other hand, a WLAN system is recently discussed on the premise of using a 40 MHz channel (in case of IEEE 802.11n) or a channel having a bandwidth above 40 MHz. The existing BSS load management procedure cannot provide STAs with information on a 40 MHz, 60 MHz, or 80 MHz (or higher) channel that can be utilized in a BSS.